GujjuPunju.com

That Place Called USCIS

Somewhere under high security (now thats up for debate), within the walls of large looming office buildings, among millions of files, petitions, applications, approvals, and denials, lies a little packet about half an inch thick with my name and address on it. I am the petitioner and Mr.Punju the beneficiary. The fate of our relationship first lay in the hands of friends who smuggled phone calls and letters, then in the hands of our families, then in the hands of the extended family and society, and now it finally lays in the hands of a complete stranger. An officer of the Department of Homeland Security, an officer who must sift through scores of such applications for visas - immigration or otherwise and stamp it with approvals and denials. What must go through her or his head when deciding these factors. Do they get emotionally attached to the love stories of how two people met, fell in love, and have finally decided to spend their lives with each other? Do they feel the pain of all those pining for their loved ones from across thousands of miles? Do they not get that sometimes even a month’s delay might be an extra salary pack for them, but eons for those whose fates they decide day in and day out?

It was supposed to be good news when I made the announcement that B and I have finally started the petition process so that we can now be a step closer to being with each other without phonecords and wireless connections between the two of us. However, that place called USCIS decided to not follow its own laid out rules and returned my petition package, with the envelope I sent it in, all of the half inch thickness via priority mail. A notice sent a month and a half after I initially sent our petition out, a notice that asked me now to resubmit but forgets that now I cannot meet one of their requirements. For the uninitiated, when a petitioner files for their fiance, they have to have met/seen each other within two years prior to applying. B and I met 30th August 2005 last. Yes, it has been that long. I had initially applied and followed all of their guidelines. Now granted, I was cutting it close to their deadline, but everything and I mean EVERYTHING in the package was according to their own rules and policies. However, someone in one of those high scrutiny, large looming offices, sitting among thousands of petitions did not like my almost one inch (okay thats the truth) packet, and decided to send all of it with all its glory back to me, and asked me to resubmit. All this when, people who applied the same time I did got their applications accepted. Two days after I received the package, I frantically devoured site after site on immigration help trying to find clues as to what to do next. Where to go? How to appeal? Or is going to India the only solution? I found some help on VisaJourney, and moral support knowing that I was not the only one in my situation. There were others trying to fight it. I was told maybe I should contact my Senator’s or Congressman’s office, which is what I did. These are elected officials who will do all to make USCIS do its job right. When I said congressman, one of my friends said, “Why did you get the congressman involved for such a small thing? Its not a big deal.” Heck yea its a big deal! B is a BIG DEAL to me. BIG DEAL. Sorry if I am redundant but it is a BIG DEAL! So the good thing was that the COngressman’s office got right on it, contacted USCIS and replied back telling me to resubmit with attention to whoever it was that they spoke to. I did just that. That was on Monday. I have been waiting and waiting and waiting since then. The past four days have seemed like four years. It is so frustrating - this having to wait in the dark with no idea where my application is. For all I know, it lies somewhere in that high scrutiny area, within the walls of the large looming buildings, buried under millions of files, applications, approvals, and denials.

Granted they have a tough job and have to make sure that those visas don’t go into the hands of all the wrong people. But I say, if legal immigration was not such a hassle, the state of illegal immigration wouldn’t be as bad. Sure, they have to make sure each paper is signed, and all guidelines followed. BUt when USCIS makes a mistake, whose fault is it? Why does the innocent applicant have to bear the brunt of someone who cannot follow its own company’s rules. Like someone said - after all its a government agency. Government or not, there should be some owing up to one’s mistakes and correcting it, without any more delay than already has been. I have known people’s applications just get plain lost and untouched for years before they get someone from politics to intervene. The applicant who has been extremely meticulous in gathering her packet and checking and rechecking it several times, reprinting and signing that paper again because the signature was oh-so-slightly obliterated can get her application delayed regardless of whose fault it is. Hers or the place she applied to’s. All she can do is wait, hope, and pray that it gets noticed, oh and noticed for a good reason.

I sit here helpless, waiting as a stranger looks over our petition and gets to decide what happens now. Who knows, it may take hours, days, weeks, months, or even years before I hear from them. I like millions of other people, have no control over it and all I can do is wait. Wait for that long await acceptance notice, and then wait again for the much longer awaited approval notice from that place called USCIS.

I plan on writing everything on the process under K-1 Kronicles so if a lost soul like I was passes by, she or he can have some help gathering her/his petition together.

I read this quote somewhere in reference to how long it takes to process visas now. It went something like “1907: 2-3 weeks to cross the Atlantic by boat. 2007: 6-8 months. And they say we have made progress.”